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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22872331">the 15th</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessenigma/pseuds/jessenigma'>jessenigma</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ACCA13区監察課 | ACCA 13-ku Kansatsuka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Future Fic, M/M, Post-Canon, School Reunion, accidental high school reunion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:48:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22872331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessenigma/pseuds/jessenigma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>But before Jean can decide what he’s going to say –<i> yes, Nino and I are still in touch, </i>maybe, or<i> he’s definitely still my partner in crime, </i>or even<i> he’s here in this restaurant waiting for me to finish my cigarette so we can go home to our apartment that we share together because we’re going to be married and I wish I’d figured out I love him back in high school so I could’ve told him so every day, can I leave now and make sure he still knows? </i>– he feels the weight of an arm wrapping casually around his waist and hears a soft chuckle in his ear.</p>
<p>"Sorry I’m late, I got caught up talking outside," Nino says smoothly, like he’d always expected to rescue his wayward fiancé from the clutches of a surprise high school reunion this evening.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nino/Jean Otus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>97</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the 15th</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lotta's voice had crackled over the phone the previous week, the distance between Badon and Dowa echoing down the line.</p>
<p>"Grandfather was asking if you and Nino had picked a place for your wedding reception yet," Lotta had said cheerily as Jean stood outside headquarters after work. He'd shifted the phone then, nestling it between his shoulder and his ear as he tried to light a long-awaited cigarette.</p>
<p>"I don't know," he'd said absently, flicking at the lighter. "We were talking about just having a party in the building–"</p>
<p>"<em>JEAN!</em>"</p>
<p>The volume of Lotta's exasperated exclamation so close to his ear had made him jump, sending the phone clattering to the ground. The din on Jean's end of the call hadn't seemed to faze Lotta one bit, because as he fumbled the phone back to his ear, unlit cigarette abandoned on the ground, she was in full planning mode.</p>
<p>"–have to call Mrs. C on the third floor, her brother has a nice restaurant. Honestly, the pair of you–"</p>
<p>Jean had left her to it, and by lunchtime the next day, there had been a voicemail full of instructions about a meeting at a restaurant near the apartment building waiting for him.</p>
<p>Now, as he and Nino ride the elevator to the top floor restaurant, something about the name of the place niggles at his mind.</p>
<p>"Does this building seem familiar to you?" Jean asks Nino as the elevator doors silently slide open to a quiet restaurant lobby, but before Nino can answer, his attention is caught by a manager waiting politely for them, and as the man escorts them back to his office, Jean forgets he'd asked. It was probably nothing anyway.</p>
<p>Lotta had apparently been more than thorough in her planning for them. The manager runs through the paperwork, drops phrases like "appreciate your need for discretion with guests" and "security is excellent", and walks them through a series of event rooms as he points out options. Everything drifts in one ear and out the other as far as Jean is concerned, and even though Nino seems attentive enough, asking about seating arrangements for each space, Jean can see restlessness settling in his eyes.</p>
<p>"It's not too late to elope," Jean offers as they leave one last identical room, trailing behind the manager now bustling towards his office to wrap up their meeting. Nino chuckles softly and reaches for Jean's hand.</p>
<p>"What would Lotta say?"</p>
<p>Jean's hand is warm in Nino's and he doesn't want to let go, but the need for a smoke break is getting almost unbearable. Jean leans in the doorway of the manager's office.</p>
<p>“Is there somewhere I can go for a cigarette?” he asks as he pats at his pockets for his cigarette case. The manager’s polite smile dims just a fraction, but his voice is pleasant as ever as he directs Jean to a terrace at the end of the hallway. On his way out, he waves the case at Nino, who nods at him before going inside to sign the last of the paperwork.</p>
<p>He can't wait to go home with his fiancé.</p>
<p>But Jean only makes it partway to the terrace before a soft hand on his arm stops him.</p>
<p>"Wow, Jean, we weren’t expecting to see you tonight!"</p>
<p>Before he can even look over at the woman speaking to him, he finds himself being rather forcefully pulled into the one banquet room that he and Nino hadn't already been dragged through, the one that the manager had politely told them was booked this evening. It's a busy room, full of decorations and several people who look oddly familiar, but it's not until he catches a glimpse of a sign partially hidden by a row of balloons – "15th Class Reunion!" – that it finally clicks.</p>
<p>Oh no. That invitation that had shown up in the mailbox a month ago, that invitation he'd glanced at and dropped in the recycling on his way to the office. That was where he'd heard the restaurant name before. That invitation to his high school class reunion, here at this very place on this very night.</p>
<p>Jean can see her face now, the woman who'd dragged him in here and who's now steering him towards a knot of people standing around a punch bowl, her hand still tightly clasped to his arm. She's tall with long dark curly hair, and if he squints and imagines a pair of heavy-rimmed glasses on her face, he thinks he might've sat behind her in math class one semester. She has a nametag on, but her hair falls just right for him to not be able to make out a single letter. Damn. Who is she?</p>
<p>"Look who came, guys! Isn't that great?"</p>
<p>Mystery Woman's grasp of steel finally loosens as she reaches for a blank nametag and a marker. She writes "Jean Otus" with a flourish (maybe he'd copied her biology notes once?) and sticks the tag neatly on his shirt.</p>
<p>"It's so good to see you again, Jean! It's been ages, hasn't it?" beams one of the crowd, as the other faces around here chimed in agreement. Someone pushes a glass of punch into his hand and then it's too late to make a discreet escape.</p>
<p>
  <em>...been working for ACCA too, haven't I seen you in the cafeteria?...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>...should've been here for the 10th reunion! Mari was asking about you then!...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>…her wife’s from Korore, that’s why she took the position there…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>...can't believe he has three kids already, but I guess we are getting older...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>...so expensive here, we're thinking of moving to Peshi, we could afford an actual house...</em>
</p>
<p>Voices swirl around him, talking about people he doesn't remember doing things he doesn't care about, and Jean is absolutely <em>dying</em> for a cigarette now. He's weighing his options, wondering if he can make a convincing-sounding excuse about seeing someone across the room he has to talk to, when Mystery Woman speaks up again.</p>
<p>"Oh, that reminds me, Jean, have you talked to Nino lately? You two were close back in school, right? Nino and Jean, Jean and Nino, always together."</p>
<p>It's then that Jean finally places her face. That first girl who'd tried to get Jean to pass a love letter on to Nino for her, she'd been her best friend. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been glaring holes through him in the school library while her friend had been whispering frantically at her, hands waving embarrassedly. Nino had been sitting across the table from him at the time, his gaze shifting between Jean and the girls curiously, but he hadn't asked.</p>
<p>Jean is so thrown by the sudden memory that he can only stammer out the beginning of a response.</p>
<p>“I, uh –”</p>
<p>But before he can decide what he’s going to say – <em>yes, we’re still in touch</em>, maybe, or <em>he’s definitely still my partner in crime</em>, or even <em>he’s here in this restaurant waiting for me to finish my cigarette so we can go home to our apartment that we share together because we’re going to be married and I wish I’d figured out I love him back in high school so I could’ve told him so every day, can I leave now and make sure he still knows?</em> – he feels the weight of an arm wrapping casually around his waist and hears a soft chuckle in his ear.</p>
<p>Oh thank god. Jean relaxes just a fraction into Nino’s familiar warmth as Mystery Woman’s gaze flicks up to Nino’s face in surprise.</p>
<p>“Sorry I’m late, I got caught up talking outside,” Nino says smoothly, like he’d always expected to rescue his wayward fiancé from the clutches of a surprise high school reunion this evening. “I hate to interrupt the conversation, but Mr. C stopped by, Jean, and I know you’d like to see him before he leaves, he was your favorite teacher, right?”</p>
<p>Nino’s arm slips ever so slightly higher around Jean, his hand angled just right for the light to catch conspicuously on his ring, and Mystery Woman’s gaze turns thoughtful. She grins then, mischievous, and nods at Jean.</p>
<p>“Oh, you’d better hurry then, Jean. I’ll give An your regards. She always appreciated what you did for her back in high school. Good seeing you too, Nino.”</p>
<p>Jean nods back, no small amount of relief that he could finally, finally go get that cigarette coursing through him, and lets Nino steer him away from the previously inescapable crowd of people, his hand moving to the small of Jean’s back. But they take an oddly circuitous route towards the door and after the third time they pass the same group of people making their way towards the refreshments, the third time Nino’s ring conspicuously catches the light in the room, and the third time Nino pulls Jean a bit closer to him, Jean stops and takes his hand, letting their fingers entwine.</p>
<p>“I need a cigarette <em>now</em>,” he says firmly. Nino looks unapologetic but still lets Jean lead the way out of the room. Jean thinks, for just a moment, that maybe he should stop at the terrace, see if it’s a good place for a smoke break during their reception… but no. Not now, not tonight. He wants to be home, back in the place they’ve built for themselves.</p>
<p>He only lets go of Nino’s hand to pull his cigarette case and lighter from his pocket once they reach the sidewalk outside the building. Nino watches with a fond smile as Jean takes the first longed-for puff from his cigarette. The gentle silence between them is warm and familiar, something Jean wants to wrap around him and keep forever.</p>
<p>Nino is the one who takes Jean’s hand after the last of Jean’s cigarette is finally stubbed out, his thumb rubbing gently against Jean’s.</p>
<p>“Didn’t you want to stay longer at the reunion, Mr. Prom King?” Jean asks as they start down the sidewalk towards their apartment building. “I bet a lot of people from high school wanted to talk to you.”</p>
<p>“There’s only one person from high school I want to talk to.”</p>
<p>Nino’s hand squeezes his a little tighter and the streetlight catches on Jean’s ring.</p>
<p>“It’s still not too late to elope,” Jean says, softly tugging Nino closer to him.</p>
<p>“But I want everyone to know you’re mine.”</p>
<p>Even without looking at him, Jean can feel the warmth of Nino’s smile blazing at him.</p>
<p>“Just take me home already.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Have I ever bothered to attend any of my high school reunions? No. Am I entirely sure my graduating class has even had more than one? No. Is it probably very obvious reading this? Yes. Was I definitely inspired by a run in with an old classmate that I literally hadn't spoken to in nearly 20 years over Christmas? Absolutely.</p>
<p>for cc, bc she always gives us such good ACCA food</p>
<p>I love talking Natsume Ono's work - come find me on twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jessinbooks">@jessinbooks</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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